Page 60 - Bulletin 13 2009

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there on any terms whatever.” (Theal, 1902: 155). At this time the poles of Peninsula
settlement appeared as in Ewart’s 1811 and Brenton’s 1816 paintings. (Figs. 2.2 & 2.3).

Somerset charged the famous architect, land surveyor and engineer, Louis Michel

Thibault, to report on the proposed improvements to the road between Simon’s Town

and Muizenberg. This he was well placed to do as he had made the road from
Westervoort to Muizenberg during 1806-7. Whereas the road across the open sandy

plain south of Wynberg had been relatively straightforward and easily built to a width
of 45 ft, following existing paths and furrows, the coastal section south of Muizenberg

had presented much more difficult terrain on which their primitive tools were virtually
ineffective.

“Rocks were pulverised by gunpowder or, when it was possible to move them with
ropes, rolled into the sea.” “The axes are very beautiful but are poorly tempered
and flatten like lead …… none can be used for chopping.” “The crowbars are
roughly forged and are square instead of smooth, so that the hands of the workers
are continually being torn.” “The handles are poorly fixed and they do not hold.”

(de Puyfontaine, 1972: 61).

There were only 15 wheelbarrows for the workforce of 50 men. The documentary

record of the construction work has not been discovered but results were apparently
unsatisfactory so that by 1814 the road had deteriorated through the action of wind,

torrents and the sea. (Fig. 2.4).

On 30 April 1814 Thibault wrote his report (in French) on “Observations in connection

with the means of repairing the highway from Simons Baie to Muizenberg; to improve
it by widening various parts of it.” In it he describes (paraphrased below) the optimal

alignment of the road and the conditions to be encountered along its various sections:

 from Admiralty House to North Battery an old path along the high tide line

could be repaired with sea pebbles;
 from North Battery to “Elsie Baie” sand alternated with rocks that would
require extraction, blasting or being broken up;
 at Elsie Baie there would be difficulty in crossing the rocks, especially in
winter when they were covered by a torrent descending from the mountain
and that often changed its course;